Julia Gillard becomes Prime Minister

I do not, and will not, consider Ms. Gillard to be our first female Australian Prime Minister until such time as she has been elected by the Australian Public.

To claim the mantle of Australia's first female PM, she surely must be ELECTED by the people. Anything else is shallow - and I'm sure Ms Gillard would be the first to agree. What about we call her Acting Prime Minster until such time she goes to the people and wins a democratic mandate to lead - rather the result of some slimy back-room coup made in the dead of night by the trade unionists.

Australians did not vote in "Kevin Rudd" (as happens in the American Presidential election system) and it was arrogant of him to speak this way.
We vote based on candidates in local electorates. For Kevin Rudd or any one else to claim he was voted in "by the people" is just plain wrong.
Yes, Labor were voted in and he happened to have the top job at the time but Julia Gillard is now head of the party and this makes her the first female PM regardless of whether she has been 'voted' in by the people. She was elected by Labor - just as Rudd, and every other party leader in Australia, was originally.
Whether Australians vote for a Labor candidate for their electorate in the upcoming Federal election will determine whether she remains PM or not.

Gillard authored and supported the policies that Rudd lost popularity over, she also backed him in his hard line and turned coat when it looked like Labor would lose the coming election - a smart strategy by Labor and Gillard no doubt, they offered Rudd up as the sacrificial lamb. This is the type of ethics owned by this government and will likely keep them in power to further screw the country.

Labor has spent every cent in the coffers they had when they came into power, they borrowed excessively from overseas, over spent stupidly during their reign and left Australian's vulnerable with the GFC ripple effect still in play - (yes... it is not over yet and Labor did NOT save us from the crisis) we will likely hit a recession or depression before voters realize that Labor does not have any economic experts, that Swan is like a kid in a lollie shop with no restraint, and this bungling moron is representing our country to overseas markets!!

Australians don't realize that Gillard's policies are so close to communistic and if the tax drain on businesses continues - there will be a long road to recovery for Australia after labor destroys all they can and finally, with much relief to the business community leave power.

It won't be like Keating's "the recession we had to have" it will be more like Gillard's "The depression we didn't need" - Labor come into power, spend surplus $$ and once they can't take anymore from businesses they take from everyone else. All the general public seem to care about is short term gains, the stimilus package was a joke, much of tax payers money went overseas and to dead estates - Australians forget the many bungles along they way because Labor lined pockets with $900... once - or the many legislative changes that have already affected businesses with no industry consultation, nor do they realize that if businesses are continually drained there will be nothing left to help us through an economic crisis.

This government is a complete joke and to the rest of the world, a reflection of the ignorance of Australians in keeping them in power.

Also, it shouldn't be whether it's a male or female in power, rather whether they can do the job. Gillard is a snake and turn coat and I wonder who'll she'll blame with the next screw up? Maybe that's why she appointed Wayne Swan to deputy PM, she's going to need another scape goat in a few months.